I Became the Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard

050. The Forbidden Prince (3)

I feel filthy.

It was a sensation that went beyond mere discomfort.

Having some unknown knowledge forcibly injected into my mind was an unpleasant experience.

My fingertips are still trembling.

My vision is blurred, objects splitting into two or three, and my head is throbbing painfully.

However, amidst all this, there was something I could feel.

‘What is this?’

The moment the magic was engraved, it activated.

It was a forced event, as if to say, ‘This is what this magic is.’

What kind of magic is it… it was a simple power to explain.

‘Presence…?’

I can see it.

Until now, my eyes could only discern the shape of the supernatural and read its texture, but this went beyond that, analyzing and breaking down how the opponent’s existence was composed.

For example, it was like this.

“Still at it, huh? Ah! Is it time for revenge then!”

“Dea?”

“Hehe, wait a moment, Fried. I think I’ll feel better if I give that guy a good knock on the head.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…”

The Forbidden Library jumps in front of me.

In the blurred vision, I could see the structure of the Forbidden Library’s body, its supernatural interpretation and such.

I could see how it held fragments of divinity in some form, how those fragments worked and melted into it.

There was a phenomenon that occurred because of this.

Even though it was clear that I couldn’t physically harm the opponent, I felt a strong conviction.

That annoying little brat blowing on his fist.

“Hooh…”

I could punch him.

I struck the crown of his head, where the divine condensation was particularly red.

Smack―!

“Ugh!!!”

Then the forbidden library jumped up and rolled on the floor, screaming.

“It hurts! It hurts!!!”

At that moment, the magic dissipated with a ‘pfft’.

My vision returned.

The sensation of my mind being violated also faded.

I gasped for breath.

I watched the phenomenon that had occurred in a daze.

At that moment, I realized what the progenitor’s words meant.

“Think carefully before you use it.”

The mana draining out in chunks was the least of my worries.

This power carried too great a risk.

Even using it once felt like my brain would be crushed.

My body couldn’t handle the amount of information, and if I overused it, it might cause permanent brain damage.

Even aside from that, it was the same.

Just, such a question arose.

“Why?”

What on earth is this power meant to confront?

It is not a power to confront humans or other races.

What I saw through it was the structure of some higher-dimensional world.

A structure that was impossible for the human brain to fully comprehend.

My chest grew cold.

* * *

The forbidden library had a bump on its head.

The little kid felt a strange sense of fear at the phenomenon and even burst out, “How does this work?!”

But I couldn’t explain it either.

The only thing I could say for sure was that the forbidden library no longer dared to defy me.

After that, I finished calming down, but there was no more information to be gained.

Nothing related to the eyes, nothing related to the sacred tree.

Leaving that aside, even the succession ceremony the elf elder mentioned.

-I, I don’t know. He really didn’t say anything.

So, I left the forbidden library.

I was crossing the garden to meet the Crown Prince.

I didn’t want to think about it any further.

None of the speculations in my mind had any solid basis.

However, the reasons to normalize the underworld quickly had increased.

‘I need information.’

There is a network of information that extends beyond the empire to friendly non-human societies.

No, beyond that, there are mercenary groups that can bring some of the information from the ‘Outer Realm’ if requested.

‘There is almost no information about the progenitor Pharos within the family.’

But wouldn’t there be traces left somewhere?

If so, I might be able to get some clues through the underworld.

I was lost in such thoughts.

“The Grand Master is truly a mysterious person. I was surprised. Who knew a flick on the forehead would work on a spirit.”

The Third Prince laughed heartily.

When I glanced sideways, I saw a face that looked like a sick person.

“…It works because it does.”

“That’s what’s amazing. It means you can handle mysteries.”

At those words, I let out a hollow laugh.

“Didn’t the Third Prince also have a great secret? I never imagined it. That the forbidden library was an ancient spirit, and that Your Highness had the exceptional talent to make a contract with it.”

It wasn’t an empty compliment.

This was one of the most shocking facts I had realized in this life.

Because there was a big question.

‘Why did this guy commit suicide?’

The Third Prince I knew was a cowardly prince who committed suicide because he couldn’t bear the burden of the throne.

But what I saw in reality was different.

He still looked pitiful and powerless on the outside.

But the boy I saw through my new ability in my eyes was a kid with terrifying talent and not such a pessimistic personality.

Then, why in the past life…

“It’s not that I’m great, it’s that Dea is great. Without Dea, I’m nothing.”

“…If you had made a contract with another spirit.”

“I am dead.”

His eyes narrowed.

The third prince smiled bitterly.

“My body is weak. You know that since I was young, right?”

“Yes.”

“I have a soul that can contain nature. But I don’t have a body that can handle it. So, it easily breaks. It was the same back then. This is a secret, but…”

A rather interesting story came out.

“Dea poured out power beyond the imperial city and connected the contract with me. It was because I was on the verge of death that day. If left alone, my body would have exploded.”

“…Hmm.”

“Dea is taking on the burden of nature that comes to me. That’s why I stay in the forbidden library for a long time. The longer I can’t meet Dea, the more the burden accumulates in my body.”

“Indeed, you do not step forward in public.”

“It’s difficult. Even a little contact with a large amount of mana flows into my body. Especially during the founding festival, the elves’ spirits… Ugh…”

Is that the relationship?

Certainly, when the magic manifested, I saw a very strong connection between the third prince and the forbidden library.

I thought it was simply a sign of the contract, but it seemed to signify something more.

Thinking about it, it was like that.

‘A monster. This is.’

Not as good as the crown prince, but definitely a talent that follows at least his footsteps.

A loss to the entire empire.

I wondered.

If this third prince could use spirit magic normally and was not bound to the forbidden library, what would the war situation have been like in the previous life?

Along with that,

‘Is it really suicide?’

It doesn’t seem like it.

Some speculation is getting closer to the truth.

If there was a weakening or severance of the contract during the process of ascending to the throne, the backlash could have killed him.

They say he hanged himself, but what I heard was just a rumor from the prison.

Let’s think about it.

If the third prince, who became emperor, exploded and died, would they publicly announce it as it is?

In a time of chaos due to war?

It would have been better to say he was assassinated.

But the fact that even the imperial castle was breached by the enemy would break the morale of our troops, so it might have been better to make him a target of resentment.

A coward fled through suicide.

If that were said, it would fit the image the third prince had shown, enough for the crown prince to believe it.

Moreover, if it was well-packaged and spread among the soldiers, it could be processed into news that would raise their spirits.

Why, isn’t it common?

For humans fighting on the front lines to lose faith in their rulers and fall into a sense of mission to save the country with their own strength.

What I didn’t know was, well, because the high-ranking officials who would know the truth of that time were only Erilda and Aria.

Didn’t the crown prince avoid those two when discussing such gloomy stories?

Anyway, the most plausible speculation at this point is that.

However, there was still something I didn’t understand.

“I have a question.”

“Yes.”

“If His Highness died under such external pressure, what would happen to the Forbidden Library?”

That kid’s personality seemed really nasty.

And he seemed very obsessive.

If the third prince died, that kid would have caused some kind of commotion, so why was there no news of any incident in the previous life?

The answer to that was clear.

“Dea can’t do anything. She’s locked in the Forbidden Library.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t know well, but they said she entered under such conditions. She can’t leave until she achieves her goal.”

He laughs bitterly.

I stopped answering around that point.

The reason was that we had arrived at our destination, and even without that.

‘So, she’s a kid who wouldn’t be of any help even if the empire perished.’

Well, it’s a pity, but it’s a conversation about something that won’t happen now.

As long as the crown prince is alive, the third prince won’t walk the same path as in the previous life.

Such was the butterfly effect.

* * *

Fried felt joy in a conversation with a person for the first time in a long while.

It was only natural, for there was no one in the world with whom he could share his story.

Nominally, he had to be a contractor of Dea like everyone else.

Unable to convey the knowledge of the Forbidden Library, unable to speak of Dea’s existence.

Meeting Yuren, who knew this, and sharing such stories felt quite unfamiliar.

For some reason, it felt a bit refreshing.

But at the same time, it brought forth a sense of bitterness.

Because it made him face reality.

‘Dea is not human.’

If he were to express his feelings, it would probably be love.

Sometimes like an older sister, sometimes like a younger sister, the lively girl was ultimately a child who had to spend her life trapped in the Forbidden Library.

And she was a child who had to face an even more unfortunate future.

He uttered it himself.

– Dea can’t do anything. She’s trapped in the Forbidden Library.

From noble mtl dot com

He would die someday.

Because he was human, that would happen, and at that moment, Dea would be left alone in that desolate Forbidden Library once again.

It was truly a sad and sorry thing.

The reason Fried did his best for Dea was also in line with that.

Someday, he dreamed of showing Dea the gardens of the royal castle.

He wanted to share the food he ate with her, and secretly come out late at night to watch the stars together.

He vaguely dreamed of things he could never do in his lifetime, and the process of being denied that again was now.

His mouth turned bitter.

Fried quickly erased that feeling and returned to the palace.

He changed into more comfortable clothes and decided to stay with Dea until late today.

It was the moment he entered the room with such a heart.

“Ta-da!”

Thud, Fried’s body froze.

His breath caught.

Because of the scene that unfolded before his eyes.

“Surprised, right! Kyahaha!!!”

In his room, on his bed.

Dea stood up with the blanket wrapped around her, smiling brightly.

Fried felt as if he were seeing an illusion.

Before anything else, that question slipped out.

“…How?”

Dea answered with a triumphant laugh.

“I told you! It was just because I was bound by the deal!”

There were many things she added.

“Originally, the ownership wasn’t mine. So, I was in a form of subjugation to the Forbidden Library! That period lasted until the deal was over, and the deal ended today, right? The ownership transferred, so I could come out like this! Ah, but I can’t go far… To accumulate divine power, I need to stay connected to the Forbidden Library. Just up to this palace…”

But those words lingered around Fried’s ears and then left.

He had asked ‘how’ himself, but in fact, that wasn’t important.

“Don’t worry, Fried! Now I can protect you even outside! Uh… as long as we’re in the palace!”

Fried slowly approached the triumphant Dea.

He placed his hand on her cheek.

“Huh?”

Dea tilted her head.

It wasn’t an illusion.

It was the moment he realized that.

Wham!

Fried hugged Dea tightly.

Dea was startled.

“Ah! There, ouch! Ouch!”

“Haha…”

Fried laughed blankly.

He realized it wasn’t a dream, and he felt the connection strengthen as he hugged Dea.

His heart raced.

For some reason, he felt like crying.

“Dea.”

“Why? Aren’t you happy…?”

“No, that’s not it.”

His words were cut off.

Dea’s appearance, watching cautiously, made it even more so.

The things he had always only imagined came to mind.

But there were too many words piled up to speak all at once.

It was frustrating to have only one mouth to list them all right away.

So Fried spoke.

“That’s great. Really. So much.”

“Uh-huh… Hehe…”

“We should thank Taesa. Ah, what should we give?”

“Ugh, what did he even do?”

“Dea, you shouldn’t say that.”

“Eek…!”

“Dea.”

“…Alright. I won’t say it.”

The heart pounding with excitement hardly calmed down.

Fried trembled for a long time with that sensation, then closed his eyes and emptied his mind.

The dream was coming true in an unexpected form, too suddenly.

* * *

The day of departure had come.

I said my final goodbyes to my sister.

“I’ll be back.”

“Yes, always take care of your health. Make sure to eat your meals on time…”

I smiled awkwardly.

How is it that she says this every time something happens, as if it’s programmed into her?

In the midst of it all, I felt sorry and grateful that my sister, knowing the danger of my work, did not stop me.

She always asked just one thing.

“Young master, is this something you can be proud of?”

“It is something I can be proud of, for myself and for Pharos. It is the fulfillment of duty.”

“Never lose your pride. I believe in you, young master.”

A very faint smile, though worry and fear were etched in it, my sister tried not to show such things.

I was grateful for that.

“With Your Highness by my side, it will be fine.”

“······.”

Oh no, did I say something wrong?

My sister’s expression darkened.

Come to think of it, she probably doesn’t have a good impression of him, considering how often I’ve ended up in tatters while hanging around with that man.

“···Anyway, I’ll be off.”

I felt like saying more would only make her worry, so I slipped away as if fleeing.

My sister agreed to look after Aria.

She had taken care of her quite a bit while I was away, and because of that, Aria liked her a lot, so there was no trouble.

My sister also mentioned that it reminded her of taking care of me when I was little, and she enjoyed it.

Anyway, with my narrow circle of human relationships sorted out, I secretly left the capital with a simple pack.

I met the Crown Prince at the forest rendezvous point.

“You’ve come. How have you been?”

“Seeing you just yesterday, what do you think? No tails following you?”

“My second best skill after swordsmanship is stealth.”

“Is that something to brag about?”

I felt like breaking his raised thumb.

Anyway, that concluded our meeting.

···No, there was one more person to join this journey.

I sensed an approaching presence.

And when I turned my head, I saw her.

“It’s been a while.”

A woman in a robe was walking towards us.

Her curly hair, the color of water, reached down to her chest, and her bright blue eyes were partially covered by a black eyepatch on the right side.

The most notable feature, however, was her right arm, a prosthetic, revealed by the sleeveless shirt under her robe.

Magic circuits glowed faintly on the sky-blue metal.

Seeing her like that, I said,

“You look fine now.”

“······.”

“`

Beatrice von Gilfur.

A worthless sorceress who made me endure every possible hardship.

Only now, after tending to my wounds, can I finally make use of her.

“`